Mr BALCH - 2000-05-11
Labor makes great play of fishing tourism in its recent policy announcement. Can you inform this Assembly if fishing tourism has directly benefited from the controversial Territory government decision to close several rivers to commercial barramundi fishing, and can you also inform the Assembly if the Territory government’s decision to close the Mary, Daly and Roper rivers was in fact opposed by members opposite?
ANSWER
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Stirling: I will tell you who would not remember it, and that is Denis Burke. He was not here.
Mr REED: Well, Syd Stirling obviously does not remember it, neither does the Leader of the Opposition, Clare Martin, because they have either been very selective or deceitful – and I suspect the latter – in presenting the picture in relation to their direction statements for recreational fishing.
If you look at today’s paper, page 14, it says: ‘2000, The Year of the Really Big Barra’. This fellow is very proud because he caught a 121cm barramundi down at the Daly River.
Last week I had the honour of hosting the presentation night following the Barra Classics at Parliament House. In 1985 and 1986, during the Barra Classic, the total number of fish caught by all participants was less than 80. A decade later, after this government took the difficult decision to close rivers to commercial fishing and dedicate them to recreational fishing, those same groups of fishers who are participating in the Barra Classic are now catching between 800-1000 fish per Barra Classic. The credentials of this government in relation to recreational fishing cannot be denied.
Not so, though, with the Leader of the Opposition’s direction statement. Did the Leader of the Opposition go to a boat ramp or a lure manufacturing factory to launch the documents? No, no! She went to airconditioned comfort down at the cruise ship terminal. That demonstrates the sincerity of the Leader of the Opposition. She was standing in front, I think, of the plaque which read: ‘This building opened by Mike Reed, Minister for Tourism’. I am pleased that we were able to provide you with a lovely comfortable airconditioned modern cruise ship terminal for you to launch your policy in.
This government, in 1988, and myself as the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, decided to close a number of rivers to commercial fishing and dedicate them to recreational fishing. It was that action that gave the Labor Party, a week or 2 ago, the ability to even think of releasing a fishing recreation policy. Had we not done that there would be no fish to catch. Barra are now known nationally to be caught in the Northern Territory; we are the Barra capital of Australia. It is those decisions that the Labor Party so vehemently fought. The former Leader of the Opposition should remember this, because she went through a part of it. The Mary River was closed in 1988, followed by the closure of the Daly River in 1989, the Roper in 1991, the extension to the Victoria River closure in 1993, and the current minister closed Darwin Harbour and Shoal Bay in 1998.
Why were those rivers closed and what does the current directions paper of Labor relate to in relation to fish stocks? The Labor policy says: ‘Decisions associated with fish stocks and improving fish numbers will be based on scientific research’. That’s Labor’s cold, hard, political scientific approach to fishing, and that approach will see the opening of those rivers that are now dedicated to recreational fishing to commercial fishing, and I will tell you why. When this government made decisions to close those rivers, it was not on a scientific basis. In fact, as minister, I was advised by the scientists in the fisheries unit that there was no scientific basis for the closure of those rivers, and I accepted that advice. But this government made the decision to close those rivers and dedicate them to recreational fishing based on lifestyle and the needs of Territorians, and that is a commitment to lifestyle and recreational fishing that does not exist with the members opposite.
What did the members opposite do when we starting closing rivers? I’ll tell you what they did. This is the Leader of the Opposition, Brian Ede, in Hansard on 22 February 1990. These are his comments in Hansard on the closure of the Roper River. He was speaking about my actions to close the Roper River and dedicate it to recreational fishing: ‘It’s a disgusting decision and the minister must review it’. That’s your dedication to recreational fishing, notwithstanding your newfound interest. He went on to say:
The minister’s actions have been guided by one clear thought, and I suspect only one, and that is that he has done the numbers. He believes that there are more votes in the amateur fishing area than there are among the professional fisherman.
It is lifestyle and a commitment to it, and that is why we did it and that is why you are trying to attach yourself to it.
Neil Bell, Hansard, 4 March 1993, said: ‘I remain concerned that past decisions forcing fishing closures on the commercial sector have not always been based on scientific fact’. They weren’t, they were based on lifestyle. Labor Recreational Fishing Policy, 8 May, states: ‘Decisions associated with fish stocks and improving fish numbers will be based on scientific research’. On that basis, the mob over there, the Labor Party, if they were to get into government, they would reopen the rivers that are currently dedicated to recreational fishing to commercial fishing, and we will oppose that every inch of the way.
In relation to your nonsense about access, you have 2 members here, the inactive member for Arnhem, and the inactive member for Arafura. You do not have to wait until you are in government to improve access. You are both influential people in Aboriginal constituencies, and if you want to show that you can perform, that you have the ability to get out of the northern suburbs and get down to your electorate, then talk to your constituents about opening areas up for recreational fishing now, not at some indeterminate time in the future. Get out and do a bit of work on behalf of the recreational fishermen that you purport to assist.
They are all about emotion; there’s nothing about sincerity in their recreational fishing policy. This government has a long, dedicated history to recreational fishing, which will continue. I have clearly demonstrated that your history in relation to recreational fishing is not only abysmal, but it has never supported recreational fishermen, and you are simply now trying to attach yourself to a very successful government policy and initiatives that have been implemented over the last decade and more.
ANSWER
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Stirling: I will tell you who would not remember it, and that is Denis Burke. He was not here.
Mr REED: Well, Syd Stirling obviously does not remember it, neither does the Leader of the Opposition, Clare Martin, because they have either been very selective or deceitful – and I suspect the latter – in presenting the picture in relation to their direction statements for recreational fishing.
If you look at today’s paper, page 14, it says: ‘2000, The Year of the Really Big Barra’. This fellow is very proud because he caught a 121cm barramundi down at the Daly River.
Last week I had the honour of hosting the presentation night following the Barra Classics at Parliament House. In 1985 and 1986, during the Barra Classic, the total number of fish caught by all participants was less than 80. A decade later, after this government took the difficult decision to close rivers to commercial fishing and dedicate them to recreational fishing, those same groups of fishers who are participating in the Barra Classic are now catching between 800-1000 fish per Barra Classic. The credentials of this government in relation to recreational fishing cannot be denied.
Not so, though, with the Leader of the Opposition’s direction statement. Did the Leader of the Opposition go to a boat ramp or a lure manufacturing factory to launch the documents? No, no! She went to airconditioned comfort down at the cruise ship terminal. That demonstrates the sincerity of the Leader of the Opposition. She was standing in front, I think, of the plaque which read: ‘This building opened by Mike Reed, Minister for Tourism’. I am pleased that we were able to provide you with a lovely comfortable airconditioned modern cruise ship terminal for you to launch your policy in.
This government, in 1988, and myself as the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, decided to close a number of rivers to commercial fishing and dedicate them to recreational fishing. It was that action that gave the Labor Party, a week or 2 ago, the ability to even think of releasing a fishing recreation policy. Had we not done that there would be no fish to catch. Barra are now known nationally to be caught in the Northern Territory; we are the Barra capital of Australia. It is those decisions that the Labor Party so vehemently fought. The former Leader of the Opposition should remember this, because she went through a part of it. The Mary River was closed in 1988, followed by the closure of the Daly River in 1989, the Roper in 1991, the extension to the Victoria River closure in 1993, and the current minister closed Darwin Harbour and Shoal Bay in 1998.
Why were those rivers closed and what does the current directions paper of Labor relate to in relation to fish stocks? The Labor policy says: ‘Decisions associated with fish stocks and improving fish numbers will be based on scientific research’. That’s Labor’s cold, hard, political scientific approach to fishing, and that approach will see the opening of those rivers that are now dedicated to recreational fishing to commercial fishing, and I will tell you why. When this government made decisions to close those rivers, it was not on a scientific basis. In fact, as minister, I was advised by the scientists in the fisheries unit that there was no scientific basis for the closure of those rivers, and I accepted that advice. But this government made the decision to close those rivers and dedicate them to recreational fishing based on lifestyle and the needs of Territorians, and that is a commitment to lifestyle and recreational fishing that does not exist with the members opposite.
What did the members opposite do when we starting closing rivers? I’ll tell you what they did. This is the Leader of the Opposition, Brian Ede, in Hansard on 22 February 1990. These are his comments in Hansard on the closure of the Roper River. He was speaking about my actions to close the Roper River and dedicate it to recreational fishing: ‘It’s a disgusting decision and the minister must review it’. That’s your dedication to recreational fishing, notwithstanding your newfound interest. He went on to say:
The minister’s actions have been guided by one clear thought, and I suspect only one, and that is that he has done the numbers. He believes that there are more votes in the amateur fishing area than there are among the professional fisherman.
It is lifestyle and a commitment to it, and that is why we did it and that is why you are trying to attach yourself to it.
Neil Bell, Hansard, 4 March 1993, said: ‘I remain concerned that past decisions forcing fishing closures on the commercial sector have not always been based on scientific fact’. They weren’t, they were based on lifestyle. Labor Recreational Fishing Policy, 8 May, states: ‘Decisions associated with fish stocks and improving fish numbers will be based on scientific research’. On that basis, the mob over there, the Labor Party, if they were to get into government, they would reopen the rivers that are currently dedicated to recreational fishing to commercial fishing, and we will oppose that every inch of the way.
In relation to your nonsense about access, you have 2 members here, the inactive member for Arnhem, and the inactive member for Arafura. You do not have to wait until you are in government to improve access. You are both influential people in Aboriginal constituencies, and if you want to show that you can perform, that you have the ability to get out of the northern suburbs and get down to your electorate, then talk to your constituents about opening areas up for recreational fishing now, not at some indeterminate time in the future. Get out and do a bit of work on behalf of the recreational fishermen that you purport to assist.
They are all about emotion; there’s nothing about sincerity in their recreational fishing policy. This government has a long, dedicated history to recreational fishing, which will continue. I have clearly demonstrated that your history in relation to recreational fishing is not only abysmal, but it has never supported recreational fishermen, and you are simply now trying to attach yourself to a very successful government policy and initiatives that have been implemented over the last decade and more.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016